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Cancer Treat Rev 2021 Mar 2;97:102172. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.

Treatment outcomes have improved with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors and small molecule inhibitors. However, many patients do not respond with single agents. Consequently, ongoing research is focused on the use of combination therapies to increase clinical efficacy by potential synergistic effects. Read More

Eur J Clin Invest 2021 May 10:e13583. Epub 2021 May 10.

University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.

Background: Cancers of unknown primary (CUP) are highly aggressive tumours with limited molecular characterization. These tumours can be particularly sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) by mounting a seemingly more effective anti-tumour immune response. Unlike other tumour lineages, the biological basis and clinical efficacy of ICI in CUP remain largely unknown. Read More

Perm J 2021 May;25

Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center, Riverside, CA.

Introduction: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine cancer with a high mortality rate of 33% to 46%. Merkel cell is a type of epidermis cell receptor responsible for contact sensitivity and is known to have neuroendocrine properties. Treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma with avelumab has been prominsing, but its rarity and poor prognosis necessitates close follow up. Read More

Orbit 2020 Dec 1:1-6. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

: Lid-sharing approaches are often advocated for repair of large full thickness lower eyelid defects, however result in temporary visual obstruction and the need for a second-stage procedure. The authors describe and report outcomes using a one-stage technique utilizing a free tarsoconjunctival graft (TCG) and musculocutaneous transposition flap (MCT) to repair defects up to 90% of the lower eyelid.: A retrospective chart review on patients that had undergone full thickness lower eyelid reconstruction using a TCG and MCT between the dates of 1/1/2015 to 3/1/2020 was performed. Read More

Future Oncol 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Division of Clinical Research & Technological Development, Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), André Cavalcanti St, 37, 5th floor Centro, Rio de Janeiro, 20231-050, Brazil.

The current study aims to present epidemiologic changes and clinical aspects of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) in Brazil. Data were collected from the Brazilian Population-Based Cancer Registries (2000-2015) and Hospital-Based Cancer Registries (2000-2017). The average age-standardized incidence rates significantly increased in men between the years 2000 (0. Read More

Oncologist 2021 May 5. Epub 2021 May 5.

EMD Serono, Inc., Rockland, MA; an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Background: We investigated the association between adverse events (AEs) suspected to be immune-related and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), costs, and mortality among patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy for urothelial carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, or Merkel cell carcinoma.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective cohort study using medical and pharmacy claims and enrollment information from US commercial and Medicare Advantage with Part D enrollees in the Optum Research Database from March 1, 2014, through April 30, 2019. Claims were linked with mortality data from the Social Security Death Index and the National Death Index. Read More

Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2021 May 2:e1399. Epub 2021 May 2.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Background: Metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) has traditionally been managed with palliative chemotherapy regimens or best supportive care (BSC). Avelumab, a novel anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) human monoclonal antibody for mMCC treatment, is being studied in the pivotal JAVELIN Merkel 200 trial.

Aim: Incorporating trial results, this analysis aimed to evaluate the cost-utility of avelumab in Taiwan. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Apr 28. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Electronic address:

J Invest Dermatol 2021 Apr 28. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Cancer Control Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address:

Relatively little is known about the epidemiology of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) with regards to international trends in incidence, specifically relating to differences by age, sex and anatomic site. We examined trends in sex-specific incidence of MCC in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Norway over a 20-year period (1997-2016), as well as site-specific incidence trends in the US. We used Joinpoint regression models to estimate the average annual percentage change (AAPC) in incidence. Read More

Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2021 May;103(5):e159-e164

Castle Hill Hospital, UK.

Submental flap (SF) is a reconstructive technique that can be utilised for reconstruction of medium to large oral cavity defects, head and neck cancer, and pharyngocutaneous fistula. The submental artery island flap is pedicled on the submental artery and veins. The vascular pedicle has a length of up to 8cm. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2021 Apr 28. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Endocr Pathol 2021 Apr 28. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM) Surgical Pathology Section- Alma Mater Studiorum , University of Bologna , Bologna, Italy.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin tumor with neuroendocrine differentiation, mainly affecting elderly population or immunocompromised individuals. As methylation of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (mhTERT) has been shown to be a prognostic factor in different tumors, we investigated its role in MCC, in particular in intron 4-5 where rs10069690 has been mapped and recognized as a cancer susceptibility locus. DNA methylation analysis of hTERT gene was assessed retrospectively in a cohort of 69 MCC patients from the University of Bologna, University of Turin and University of Insubria. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

UCSF Dermatopathology and Oral Pathology Service, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; and Helen Diller Family Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

Abstract: Pseudocarcinomatous desmoplastic trichoepithelioma (PDTE) features verrucous squamous epidermal hyperplasia with a jagged undersurface overlying cords of follicular germinative cells in a fibrotic stroma. To date, only 5 cases have been reported. We identified 7 new PDTEs from 2 institutions and reviewed their clinical manifestations and immunohistochemical profile. Read More

JPRAS Open 2021 Jun 24;28:131-139. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Department of Plastic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan.

Background: Numerous reports have described methods for repairing full-thickness upper eyelid defects using lower eyelid tissue. To avoid sacrificing the lower eyelid and thereby prevent lower eyelid sagging or dysfunction, we used innervated orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flaps harvested from the upper eyelid for upper eyelid reconstruction.

Methods: We modified a method reported by Moschella and Cordova for repairing full-thickness upper eyelid defects using innervated bipedicled orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flaps mobilized from the upper eyelid and labial mucosal grafts. Read More

Eur J Cancer 2021 Apr 22;150:119-129. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research, Partner Site University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.

Background: Radiological imaging such as computed tomography (CT) is used frequently for disease staging and therapy monitoring in advanced skin cancer patients. Detected lesions of unclear dignity are a common challenge for treating physicians. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and outcome of CT-guided biopsy (CTGB) of radiologically unclear, suspicious lesions and to depict its usefulness in different clinical settings. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2021 Apr 22. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

Division of Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is routinely recommended for clinically localized Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC); however, predictors of false negative (FN) SLNB are undefined.

Methods: Patients from six centers undergoing wide excision and SLNB for stage I/II MCC (2005-2020) were identified and were classified as having either a true positive (TP), true negative (TN) or FN SLNB. Predictors of FN SLNB were identified and survival outcomes were estimated. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Dermatology, University Hospital "Dr. José Eleuterio González" Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Electronic address:

Background: Immunotherapy is emerging as an alternative for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), but its long-term effects on response, survival, and safety are not well established. High-quality evidence is needed to estimate efficacy of this treatment and to review the characteristics of patients and tumor that might improve these outcomes.

Objective: To summarize immunotherapy's efficacy and safety in MCC patients. Read More

J Virol 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infects most of the human population asymptomatically, but in rare cases leads to a highly aggressive skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). MCC incidence is much higher in aging and immunocompromised populations. The epidemiology of MCC suggests that dysbiosis between the host immune response and the MCPyV infectious cycle could contribute to the development of MCPyV-associated MCC. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Apr 18. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Preventative Medicine, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwesern University, Chicago, IL. Electronic address:

J Immunother Cancer 2021 Apr;9(4)

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and Kimmel Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer associated with poor survival. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) pathway inhibitors have shown high rates of durable tumor regression compared with chemotherapy for MCC. The current study was undertaken to assess baseline and on-treatment factors associated with MCC regression and 3-year survival, and to explore the effects of salvage therapies in patients experiencing initial non-response or tumor progression after response or stable disease following first-line pembrolizumab therapy on Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network-09/KEYNOTE-017. Read More

Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021 Apr 18. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have led to a prolongation of progression-free and overall survival in patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). However, immune-mediated adverse events due to ICI therapy are common and often lead to treatment discontinuation. The response duration after cessation of ICI treatment is unknown. Read More

Dermatol Online J 2021 Mar 15;27(3). Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.

J Invest Dermatol 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA. Electronic address:

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare skin malignancy that is a paradigm cancer for solid tumor immunotherapy. MCCs associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus (virus-positive MCC [VP-MCC]) or chronic UV exposure (virus-negative MCC [VN-MCC]) are anti-PD(L)1 responsive, despite VP-MCC's low mutational burden. This suggests that antigen quality, not merely mutation quantity, dictates immunotherapy responsiveness, and cell-based therapies targeting optimal antigens may be effective. Read More

AIDS 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.

Objective: To quantify HIV specific immunological and virological changes in people living with HIV (PLWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with malignancy who received immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).

Design: Observational cohort study.

Methods: Blood samples were collected before and after four cycles of ICB in HIV positive adults on ART. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA.

Background: Immunosuppression (IS) currently is not considered in staging for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). An analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) was performed to investigate immune status as an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) for patients with MCC and to describe the relationship between immune status and other prognostic factors.

Methods: The NCDB was queried for patients with a diagnosis of MCC from 2010 to 2016 who had known immune status. Read More

Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Endocrinology Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino, Genoa, Italy.

Immunotherapy, so promising in many neoplasms, still does not have a precise role in the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). In this article, we provide an overview on the current knowledge about immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) applied to NENs, evaluating future perspectives in this setting of tumors.Evidence so far available for ICIs in gastroenteropancreatic (GEP)-NENs is definitively not as robust as for other tumors such as Small Cell Lung Cancer or Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, KY, USA.

J Dermatol 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus and immunosuppression. Although MCC incidence is rising worldwide, MCC has not been sufficiently investigated in Japan. This study aimed to determine MCC demographics in Japan, including incidence, age, sex, location, spontaneous regression, and pure/combined MCC. Read More

Acta Derm Venereol 2021 May 10;101(5):adv00452. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Medical Sciences and Human Oncology, Section of Dermatology, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 23, IT-12124 Torino, Italy. E-mail:

Orv Hetil 2021 04 10;162(17):676-682. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

6 Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orostudományi Kar, I. Sebészeti Klinika, Budapest.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: Régóta ismert, hogy a daganatokhoz társuló emelkedett vérlemezkeszám rosszabb túléléssel társul. Fej-nyak tumoros betegek esetében kevés információ áll rendelkezésünkre ezzel az összefüggéssel kapcsolatban. Read More